Band clamps for grasping and/or compressing an elongated object, such as a conduit, wire bundle, or hose are known in the art. One common type of band clamp is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,501 to Yu, which discloses a generally annular open-ended band, the free ends of which have interlocking elements. After the band clamp is properly positioned on a conduit, the free ends are urged together whereupon the band clamp constricts about the conduit and the interlocking elements become engaged to prevent the band clamp from loosening.
The prior art hose clamps, e.g., like those described in the Yu '501 Patent, cannot grasp the object strongly enough to be retained on the elongated object without closing the clamp. As a result, they are not capable of being temporarily applied to an elongated object while in their open position (e.g., for transportation to a job site prior to actual installation).